The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiated
tenant-based rental assistance programs over 20 years ago. A tenant-based
rental assistance program offers very low-income tenants a housing assistance
subsidy so the household can afford to rent a privately-owned residence. The
current program that HUD offers is the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher
Program.

A very low-income household must first register its name on a waiting list.
After the household's name is reached, SHA reviews qualifications that include
residency, income, and criminal history. SHA issues a Section 8 Housing Choice
Voucher and the household must find a privately-owned residence to rent.

SHA must inspect the residence to insure that it meets HUD's required physical
standards and SHA must also determine that the rent is reasonable.

Then, the landlord enters into a lease with the tenant and SHA enters into a
contract with the landlord. Rental assistance payments begin to flow each
month.

Generally, SHA's work is done for the first year of the contract. About 9
months later, the cycle begins again. The household's qualifications must be
reviewed and the residence must be inspected...

Waiting List

Openings and closings for the wait list for this program are listed in the Current Events Section of this Website and are also advertised in local papers.

This information is also available by telephone at 203-375-4483

Income Limits

New participants' total annual household income is to be at or below the
following amounts in order to begin to receive rental assistance:

1 Person:

$31,300

5 People:

$48,250

2 People:

$35,750

6 People:

$51,800

3 People:

$40,200

7 People:

$55,400

4 People:

$44,650

8 People:

$58,950

Setting Rents *

The following are the rules regarding assisted rents under the Section 8
Housing Choice Voucher Program:

HUD requires SHA to pay rental rates that are appropriate for the neighborhood.

The tenant's rent is based on the household paying 30% of household income
toward rent and SHA paying the remainder.

Tenants may pay up to 40% of the family's monthly income for rent at the time
the lease is executed.

Rent approval is always subject to the Rent Reasonableness process.

*Note: SHA will only authorize rental rates that are appropriate for the
neighborhood.